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RIT Survives Another Scare, Captures Liberty

from press release

ROCHESTER, N.Y. – Junior Taylor Wisman
(Seattle, WA/Inglemoor) scored with 2:28 to play in overtime
leading the No. 3 RIT (16-2) men's lacrosse team to a 10-9 win over
Clarkson (10-6) in the 2013 Liberty League Men's Lacrosse
Championship on Sunday afternoon. The Tigers win their second
straight Liberty League title and earn the automatic berth into the
NCAA Division III Tournament.

"I am very proud of our whole team," said RIT Head Coach Jake
Coon. "I am really happy for our seniors who go out having won four
straight league championships."

Wisman, named Co-MVP along with Elliot Cowburn (Oakville,
ON/Holy Trinity), scored three of RIT's last four goals including
the game-tying and the game winning goals. Cowburn was all over the
field for RIT, grabbing six ground balls and causing three
turnovers.

Wisman and Jack Krzyston (Bedford, NH/Bishop Guertin) led RIT
with three goals apiece. Kyle Aquin (Hamilton, Ontario/St. Jean De
Brebeuf) scored two goals, while Allister Warren (Toronto,
Ontario/Malvern Collegiate Institute) and Eddie Kiesa (Syracuse,
NY/Jamesville-Dewitt) each had a goal and two assists for the
Tigers who advance to their 15th Division III Tournament and fourth
in as many years.

Pat Johnston (Norwell, MA/Norwell) picked up his sixteenth win
in net for the Tigers, making 11 saves earning All-Tournament Team
honors. Joe Dupra (Pittsford, NY/Pittsford Mendon) had two ground
balls, two caused turnovers and saved a ball off the goal line late
in the game. Tyler Brooks-Lambert (Seneca Castle, NY/Midlakes) won
9-of-14 face-offs and had five ground balls earing All-Tournament
Team honors.

Brendon Shearin led Clarkson with five goals, earning
All-Tournament Team honors. Ryan Cole was outstanding in net for
the Golden Knights, making 14 saves and earning All-Tournament Team
honors, while Brian Freeland had two caused turnovers and four
ground balls also earning All-Tournament Team honors. Corey
Herrington had a goal and two assists for Clarkson who fall to 10-6
on the season.

RIT trailed 5-2 at the half, 8-5 after three quarters, but
rallied with four goals in the fourth quarter, tying the game at
9-9 with 1:23 to play in regulation on Wisman's third goal of the
game.

"Credit goes to Clarkson," said RIT Head Coach Jake Coon. "They
played a great game, and Cole played extremely well."

The play started when Clarkson tried scoring into an open net
off a 10-man ride. Shearin had a shot, but Dupra stood in the goal
and made the save. Wisman scooped up the loose ball, bulled his
through Clarkson defenders, drove to the net, and beat Cole with a
good low shot, tying the game at 9-9. The goal was Wisman's 100th
career point at RIT.

"The guys showed tremendous character to win in overtime," said
Coon. "It shows how much we have matured from the beginning of the
season to now."

The Tigers won the ensuing face-off and had a chance inside the
last minute to win the game in regulation, but Warren's shot was
wide of the mark sending the game into overtime.

Brooks-Lambert won the opening face-off in the overtime period,
giving RIT first possession. After a time out, Wisman gathered the
ball up top and drove hard right to the net. He came back to his
left hand and fired a shot passed Cole, giving the Tigers the
title.

Clarkson came out firing in the first quarter, taking a 2-0 lead
on goals by Shearin and Peter Goss 6:13 into the game.

Aquin made it 2-1 Clarkson on his 47th goal of the season off an
assist from Warren with 3:10 to play in the opening quarter.

Shearin scored his second of the game to open the scoring in the
second quarter, giving the Golden Knights a 3-1 lead. After
Krzyston scored off an assist from Brad Gillies (Oakville,
Ontario/St. Thomas Aquinas), made it 3-2, the Golden Knights
rattled off two straight to close out the half leading 4-2.

Herrington opened the second half scoring, giving the Golden
Knights their largest lead of the game at 7-3 with 11:10 to play in
the quarter, off an assist from Matthew Gold.

Goals by Aquin and Krzyston cut Clarkson's lead to 7-5. The
man-up goal was Aquin's 16th man-up goal of the season, tying the
school record for most man-up goals in a season with Tom Kraft who
set the record back in 1988.

Robert Linder gave Clarkson an 8-5 lead with his goal off an
assist from Peter Goss with 1:04 to play in the third quarter.

Warren opened the fourth quarter scoring with his man-up goal
off an assist from gillies at the 13:50 mark of the quarter,
cutting Clarkson's lead to 8-6.

Shearin made it 9-6 Clarkson on his fifth goal of the game with
12:46 to play in the fourth quarter.

The Tigers help the Golden Knights scoreless over the final
12:46 of regulation and the first 1:32 of overtime, including
Dupra's save off the line late in regulation.

Wisman made it 9-7 Clarkson with 11:47 to play on his 21st tally
of the season.

Kiesa took a feed from Wisman with 3:38 to play in regulation,
cutting Clarkson's lead to 9-8. It was Kiesa's 32nd goal of the
season and the closest RIT had been since the second quarter.

Wisman scored the next two for RIT sending the game into
overtime and then winning it in the overtime period.

RIT has now won 18 straight home games and are 42-3 at home
since the start of the 2010 season. The Tigers have won four
straight conference championships, including two straight Empire 8
titles (2010, 2011), and two straight Liberty League titles (2012,
2013).

"We have to be ready for the NCAA Tournament," said Coon. "Our
guys have to play a full 60 minutes to advance."

The Tigers will await their opponent in the 2013 NCAA Division
III Men's Lacrosse Championship. The selection show will be at 10
pm on Sunday, May 5 and can be viewed at this link.